1. Field of the Invention
Where kitchen space is at a premium it is desirable to have a dish rack that occupies as little space as possible yet embodies all the necessary requirements of a dish rack.
2. The Prior Art.
In domestic kitchens, it is common to use a dish rack adjacent to the kitchen sink for the collection of wet dishes subsequent to the manual washing of the dishes in the sink. Typically the dishes are rinsed and placed in specialized compartments in the rack, still wet. A series of apertures and through slots extend through the bottom of the rack's compartment, through which water from the dishes is drained off by gravity.
A mat or tray, composed either of rubber or plastic, is generally sold with the rack, for intended use with the rack. The tray in use is positioned beneath the rack and includes a central platform area, bounded by raised sidewalls on which the rack is supported. The drainage water from the racked dishes collects in the platform area, out of contact with the dishes, whereby accelerating their drying. Some trays in common use, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,641 and D353,921 provide an outlet lip at one end of the platform area, which is draped over the sink. Other trays merely collect the water in the platform area, for eventual disposition by way of evaporation. U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,184 uses a drain board for packaging and use as a storage container lid.
While the above products are well accepted in the trade and have met with commercial success, several shortcomings prevent existing rack and tray sets from satisfying some of the consumer needs. In general, where kitchen space is a premium, for example in the small kitchen in large cities such as New York City, an even more compact feature of the dish rack would be desirable. As such, a separate mat or tray, to collect the water coming off the dishes, is omitted in this invention because the Expandable Dish Rack includes a bottom drawer through which the drained water is collected. The topmost part of the Expandable Dish rack has a sloping floor that conducts rinsed water into the below tray through slots in its front part. Whether the tray rests within the body of the Dish Rack or is extended outward, the rinsed water is conducted through slots into the below tray. Dishes rest on the tray which has spaced ridges which keep the dishes out of contact with the water collected on the base of the tray. The tray is later removed and the water expelled.